Biography

Brief Presentation Bio Annette von Jouanne, Ph.D., P.E., IEEE Fellow, has been a professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Oregon State University since 1995. She received her Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University where she also worked with Toshiba International Industrial Division. Professor von Jouanne specializes in energy systems, including power electronics and power systems. With a passion for renewables, she initiated the Wave Energy program at OSU in 1998, developing it into a national multidisciplinary program, where she continues to be in leadership along with several excellent colleagues. She is also co-directing the Wallace Energy Systems & Renewables Facility (WESRF), the highest power university-based energy systems lab in the nation. Dr. von Jouanne has received national recognition for her research and teaching, and she is a registered professional engineer as well as a National Academy of Engineering “Celebrated Woman Engineer.”

Biography Annette von Jouanne received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering with an emphasis in power systems and a minor in mathematics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1990 and 1992, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering/power electronics from Texas A&M University, College Station, in 1995.

While at Texas A&M University, she also worked with the Toshiba International Industrial Division and International Power Machines on joint university/industry research. In 1995, she joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, where she is currently a professor specializing in energy systems, including power electronics, power systems and renewables, with a focus on wave and wind energy. She is also the co-director of the Wallace Energy Systems & Renewables Facility (WESRF), an energy systems research and testing laboratory with a 750kVA dedicated supply, comprehensive test beds up to 300hp and a 120kVA fully programmable source.

Dr. von Jouanne is an IEEE Fellow and was the recipient of the 2000 IEEE Industry Applications Society Outstanding Young Member Award, the IEEE Industry Applications Magazine Prize Paper Award, and the National Science Foundation CAREER and GOALI Awards. She has served as associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics and for the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, and guest editor for the Oceanography Society Magazine. In 2005 she received the National Eta Kappa Nu, C. Holmes MacDonald Outstanding Teaching Award. Dr. von Jouanne is a registered professional engineer, and a National Academy of Engineering “Celebrated Woman Engineer.”

Research Group(s)

Research Interests

Research Areas

Ocean wave energy

Wind energy and energy storage

Power electronics

Power systems and power quality

Adjustable speed drives

Research Description

Wave:

Since 1998, OSU has made great strides to develop a strong program to advance wave energy technologies and the industry, including educating engineers on the importance of responsibly developing renewable resources.

Efforts included building strong support for wave energy at the state and federal levels, in addition to building essential collaborations with industries, utilities and the communities along with outreach to the ocean community of fishermen and crabbers.

OSU has investigated a variety of different direct-drive wave energy technologies, collaborating on the development of 11 different prototypes.

OSU’s direct-drive research has been focused on a simplification of processes, i.e., replacing systems employing intermediate hydraulics or pneumatics with direct-drive approaches to allow generators to respond directly to the movement of the ocean. The term “direct” drive describes the direct coupling of the buoy's velocity and force to the generator without the use of hydraulic fluid or air. OSU’s direct-drive approaches have included devices employing magnetic fields for contact-less mechanical energy transmission (flux-linkage), forms of mechanical linkages, and hybrids.

OSU's continuing wave energy technology research is multi-faceted, including partnering with developers in a supporting/research role to assist in the development of full-scale (utility-scale) wave energy devices. As device power levels approach utility-scale, it is no longer appropriate (or safe) for graduate students to be leading these efforts as part of their M.S. or Ph.D. thesis research. Therefore, OSU’s technology development will focus on the 100W - 10kW range. OSU is currently developing a 12th wave energy buoy prototype, a contactless force transmission system (at the 200W level), and is also collaborating with developers that are pursuing full-scale applications.

The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC)

Since 2004, OSU has made strong efforts to establish a National Marine Renewable Energy Center in Oregon, which was awarded by the USDOE in September 2008 through the Water Power Program. The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) is led by Oregon State University (OSU, wave), the University of Washington (UW, tidal) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). NNMREC is a USDOE center to develop a full range of capabilities to support wave and tidal energy development for the United States. NNMREC will help move the generation of marine energy from the laboratory to an integral part of the renewable energy future.

The mission of NNMREC is to support the commercialization of marine energy technology, inform regulatory and policy decisions, and to close key gaps in scientific understanding. Primary center activities include: 1) development of facilities to serve as an integrated, standardized test center for U.S. and international developers of wave and tidal energy; 2) evaluation of potential environmental, ecosystem and social impacts, focusing on the compatibility of marine energy technologies in areas with sensitive environments and existing users; 3) device and array optimization for effective deployment of wave and tidal energy technologies; and 4) increased reliability and survivability of marine energy systems.

Wind and Energy Storage:

OSU’s WESRF is advancing research on wind energy integration through more effective coordination of traditional generation resources and energy storage systems (including analysis and control) that can optimize wind energy production while also increasing the predictability of wind farm outputs. An in-lab research grid was designed and constructed, supported by a 480V, 750 kVA dedicated utility supply. The in-lab grid features emulation of several high-power grid sources and loads, including a wind farm, energy storage system, hydro resources, and local loads. The energy storage system is a 25 kW, 50 kWh zinc bromine flow battery made by ZBB.

The wind farm is emulated using an Arbitrary Waveform Generator (AWG), which functions as a 120 kVA externally controlled source.

Applications of Research:

Exploring opportunities to improve the overall contribution of renewables, such as wind and wave, to renewable energy portfolios.